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Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL |
February 2006
The Whole Dog JournalVOLUME 9NUMBER 2
TM
FEATURES
A monthly guide to natural dog care and training
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
2 Editors Note22 Letters From Readers24 Product and Expert Resources
3 The Right StuffHow to identify the best dry dog foods on themarket. Also, what ingredients you shouldavoid, and which product in a food familyis best foryour dog.
9 Right On TargetTeaching your dog this seemingly frivoloustrick has numerous practical applications.
12 What Are the Alternatives?Nonconventional treatments appeal to manyowners of dogs with cancer, partly becausemost do not cause unpleasant side effects.
18 Shock or Awe?Are electronic training collars a positivetraining tool or evil incarnate? Perhaps,something in between?
$5.95
The bell offreedom . . .page 9
Shocking thoughts . . .page 18
Newtopfoods . . .page 3
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2|FEBRUARY 2006 Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC
EDITORS NOTEEDITORS NOTE
Our goal for WDJ is to give our readersinformation they can put to use imme-diately to help improve the health andbehavior of their dogs. Of course, Iconsider the magazine a success when
I receive letters from readers thanking us forhelping save their dogs lives (as youll see onpage 22 of this issue), but I also feel a deepsatisfaction when I realize me and my dog ben-efit from things Ive read in WDJ.
For example, I read a long article in the
Washington Posttoday about a scary infectionthat is killing people and worrying public healthofficials. A very common bacteria, Clostridiumdifficile, has mutated into a virulent form thatcauses fatigue, stomach cramps, nausea, andsevere diarrhea and alarmingly, it is resistantto many antibiotics. In fact, people who are tak-ing antibiotics are the most common victim.Modern heartburn drugs, which reduce the pro-duction of stomach acid, are also emerging asan agent that can make a person vulnerable tothe infection.
What does this have to do with dogs? As I
read the article, I felt that I fully understoodthe gravity of the situation only because long-time WDJ contributor Randy Kidd, DVM, PhD,precisely described the potential for this sce-nario in his March 2004 article, Dangers ofAntibiotic Misuse. Dr. Kidd warned againstgiving your dog antibiotics for any but the mostcompelling bacterial infections. This reducesthe risk of promoting antibiotic-resistant bac-teria in your home, andpreserves the protectivebacteria in your dogs digestive tract.
Dr. Kidds article noted that you dont evenhave to be the one taking an antibiotic to be-
come resistant to it; he cited studies that show
BY NANCY KERNS
Self-Taught?We hope you learn as much from WDJ as we do!
resistant bacteria can infect every species ofanimal within reach of the animal that was giventhe antibiotic. He also noted that antibacterialsoaps and cleaners speed the development ofresistant bacteria and should be avoided. Kiddsarticle is definitely worth rereading.
For a photo to illustrate Pat Millers articleon teaching your dog to target (Right OnTarget, page 9), I followed her instructionsand taught my Chihuahua, Mokie, to ring a bellthat I hung on the back door. It took about 10
minutes. Mokie already knew how to touch hisnose to my hand the result of target training Idid with him in March 2001, when we pub-lished our lastarticle on target training. Shapingthe behavior to get him to touch his nose to thebell instead of my hand, and then using his pawsto really make it ring took just a few minutes.
Its taking a bit longer to get him to ring thebell when he wants to go outside. Ive beenasking him to ring the bell every time we gooutside, so he gets the idea that he rings thebell, and then we go out. My hope is that hellrealize that ringing the bell makes it possible
to go outside, and hell start offering the be-havior when he needs or wants to go out.
So far, he offers the behavior only whensomeone is eating, in hopes of getting a treat
for his new trick. I thinkhell figure it out assoon as I can train thekids not to give him foodfor ringing the bell be-cause they think its socute. I guess I need toask Pat to write an articlefor WDJ
on that.
MISSION STATEMENT: WDJs mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information oneffective holistic healthcare methods and successful nonviolent training. The methods we discusswill endeavor to do no harm to dogs; we do not advocate perpetrating even minor transgressions inthe name of greater good. We intend our articles to enable readers to immediately apply trainingand healthcare techniques to their own dogs with visible and enjoyable success. All topics shouldcontribute to improving the dogs health and vitality, and deepening the canine/human bond. Aboveall, we wish to contribute information that will enable consumers to make kind, healthy, and in-formed decisions about caring for their own dogs.
THE WHOLE DOGJOURNAL (ISSN #1097-5322) is published
monthly by Belvoir Media
Group, LLC, 800 Con-
necticut Avenue, Nor-
walk, CT 06854-1631. Robert Engl-
ander, Chairman and CEO; Timothy
H. Cole, Executive Vice President,
Editorial Director; Philip L. Penny,
Chief Operating Officer; Greg King,Executive Vice President, Marketing
Director; Marvin Cweibel, Senior Vice
President, Marketing Operations; Ron
Goldberg, Chief Financial Officer; Tom
Canfield, Vice President, Circulation;
Michael N. Pollet, Senior Vice Pres-
ident, General Counsel. Periodicals
postage paid at Norwalk, CT and at
additional mailing offices. Copyright2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC. All
rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
Printed in U.S.A. Revenue Canada GST
Account #128044658. Canada Pub-
lishing Agreement Number #40016479.
THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL makesevery effort to provide information on
dog health, care, and treatment that
is authoritative, reliable, and practical.
It is not intended, however, to replace
diagnosis or treatment from a
veterinarian or other qualified dog
professional. THE WHOLE DOG
JOURNAL does not assume any legal
responsibility. Readers should always
consult qualified healthcare providers
for specific diagnosis and treatment.
The Whole DogJournal
EDITORIAL OFFICE
PHONE: (510) 749-1080
FAX: (510) 749-4905
E-MAIL: [email protected]
MAIL: 1175 Regent StreetAlameda, CA 94501
BACK ISSUES, WEB SITE INQUIRIES
PHONE: (800) 424-7887
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U.S. MAIL: PO Box 5656
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REPRINTS
For price quote, con tact Mona Kornfeld at(203) 857-3143
Minimum order 1,000
TM
WHOLE DOG JOURNALDOES NOT ACCEPT
COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nancy Kerns
TRAINING EDITOR Pat Miller
PUBLISHER Timothy H. Cole
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4|FEBRUARY 2006 Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC
will pay top dollar for top-shelf products.Manufacturers who neglect even one
of these areas are just asking for trouble. Ifyour plant employees dont read well orcommunicate well with their supervisorsand coworkers, they may fail to properlyinspect a load of corn that arrives at theplant, allowing toxin-laden grain into pro-duction (see Yes, Dog Food Can Kill,
page 8); or accidentally contaminate pro-duction equipment with an improperlydiluted cleaning agent; or add a danger-ously high amount of the mineralsupplement to a batch of food, which cancause a life-threatening overdose in ex-posed dogs.
Most hazards to the wholesomeness ofa pet food can be controlled through rigor-ous planning and management. However, acompany must have the resources and com-mitment to expend those resources tocontinuously maintain vigilance over theproduct management from ingredient pur-chasing to consumer support.
Consumers have few resources availableto determine whether dog food makers havethe right stuff in these areas. In our opin-ion, one of the best indictors of a companyscommitment to quality is reflected in itsability to respond quickly and intelligentlyto consumer questions and concerns.Noncompulsory manufacturing certifica-tions (such as the ones described inFurther Attributes of a Top-Quality Foodon the next page), are another way a com-pany can unequivocally demonstrate its
commitment to quality.
Compare for yourself!On pages 76 and 7, weve listed some drydog foods that meet our selection criteria.Its vitally important that you understand thefollowing points regarding these foods:
I The foods on our list are not the only
good foods on the market. Plus, weve
named just one variety in each line by each
maker. Usually, all the other varieties in a
given line also meet our criteria.
I Any food that you find that meets our
selection criteria (see WDJs Dry Dog
Food Selection Criteria, above right), is
just as good as any of the foods on our list.
I We have presented the foods on our list
alphabetically. We do not rank order
foods. We dont attempt to identify which
ones are best, because whats best for
every dog is different.
We look for foods that contain a lot of high-quality animal proteins. Wewould love manufacturers to disclose the approximate percentage of meat, poultry,or fish in their food, but they rarely do, so we look for foods that appearto have lotsof animal protein. Ingredients are listed in order or their weight, so ideally a foodwill have one or two animal proteins in the first few ingredients. Understand thatwhole meat (chicken, beef, lamb, etc.) contains a lot of water weight. If a food list
starts out with chicken, and there is no other animal protein listed until 7th or 8th onthe list, the food does notactually contain a lot of animal protein. But if it starts outwith chicken, and chicken (or another animal) meal (essentially dehydrated chicken)is number two or three on the list, chances are the product contains an admirableamount of animal protein. Animal proteins tend to be more digestible and palatablethan plant proteins and offer a wider array of essential and nonessential amino acids.
We reject any food containing meat by-products or poultry by-products.Its just about impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products used by a foodmanufacturer. Weve spoken to representatives who swore they used only the finestsources of by-products, but when asked, they all say that! The fact is, there is a muchwider range of quality in the by-products available for pet food manufacturing thanthere is for whole meats. Whole meats are expensive, and because they are expen-sive, dog food makers insist on their quality to an extent that is unreasonable whenbuying bargain-basement by-products. So, because the quality cannot be confirmed,we advise that you just avoid foods that contain by-products. NOTE: Some of ourpast selections do contain meat and/or poultry by-products. To winnow down ourlist to the very best foods possible, we no longer select products that contain meat orpoultry by-products.
We reject foods containing fat or protein not identified by species. Animalfat is a euphemism for a low-quality, low-priced mix of fats of uncertain origin.Meat meal could be practically anything.
We look for the use of whole grains and vegetables. That said, some grainsand vegetables have valuable constituents that accomplish specific tasks in a dogfood formula. We dont think its worth getting too excited about one vegetable
fragment and one grain by-product on the ingredients panel. Our tolerance dimin-ishes in direct proportion to the numberof fragments and by-products contained ina food and the prominence on a label; the more there are, and/or the higher theyappear on the ingredients list, the lower-quality the food.
We eliminate all foods with artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives listedon their ingredients panels. NOTE: Some ingredients usually fats, and some fishproducts arrive at the pet food factory containing artificial preservatives; these donot have to be disclosed on the ingredient list, since the maker did not add them.
We eliminate all foods with added sweeteners. Dogs, like people, enjoy sweetfoods. Like people, they can develop a taste for these nutritionally empty calories.
WDJs Dry Dog Food Selection Criteria
I The proof is in the pudding. If your dog
does not thrive on the food, with a glossy
coat, itch-free skin, bright eyes, clear ears,
and a happy, alert demeanor, it doesnt
matter whether we like it or not.
Using the selection criteria outlined above,and perhaps taking into account some of theextra credit criteria listed on the next page,go analyze the food you currently feed your
dog. If it doesnt measure up, choose a newfood based on quality, and what works bestfor you and your dog in terms of types ofingredients, levels of protein and fat, localavailability and price. Then, try it and seehow it suitsyourdog.
Our list of Approved Top Dry DogFoods on pages 6 and 7 is offered as a start-ing place, and for its value as a comparisonto other products you may find.
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Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL |
Last month, in our review Top Approved Wet Dog Foods, welisted features that we consider to be highly desirable character-istics in a pet food. We dont require these traits in order to puta product on our list. But the more of these attributes a foodhas the better! We explained each item fully last month, with theexception of the final item on this list, which applies more to
dry dog foods than to wet foods.We like to see:
A date-code or production code is easy to find, read, andinterpret.
More than just the required nutrients (fat, protein, fi-ber, moisture) listed on a product labels guaranteed
analysis (GA).
The caloric content of the food listed on the label.
Allof the food makers contact information listed on itsproduct labels (and their product literature and Web sites).
A statement that a food (or one of its close family mem-bers) has passed an AAFCO feeding trial.
Certified organic ingredients.
In addition, we admire manufacturers that have pursued andobtained noncompulsory manufacturing certifications,including:
AIB certification. The American Institute of Baking (AIB)is a nonprofit educational foundation that offers the most com-prehensive and well-accepted standards and inspection for goodmanufacturing practices in grain-based food production, includ-
ing pet food production.Manufacturers pay for the voluntary inspection of their plants
and their program documentation. The inspection results in ascore from 0 to 1,000; if the score is 800 or higher, the inspectedfacility receives a certificate of achievement or recognition. A
Further Attributes of Top-Quality Dog Foodscore of 900 or more receives a Superior rating; a score of800 to 899 receives a rating of Excellent, and a score of 700to 799 receives a Satisfactory rating. Current and/or subse-quent high AIB ratings confirm a manufacturers commitmentto excellence.
APHIS registration. A company that alleges to use top quality
meat sources (sometimes claimed as human quality, thoughno such legal definition for this term exists) in its products shouldbe able to prove it with registration numbers for all its meatsuppliers from the United States Department of AgriculturesAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS).
ISO 9001:2000 rating. The International Organization forStandardization (ISO, and yes, thats the order in which they puttheir initials) is a nongovernmental organization that promotesquality and standardization in management as a tool for improv-ing any entity that supplies a product or service. The ISO standardthat can be applied to the production of pet food is called ISO9001:2000. The process of readying a company to qualify for anISO 9001:2000 rating is expensive, time-consuming, and perhapsonly worth the effort to a fairly sizeable company.
Organic certification. In 2002, the United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP)created a seal (and accompanying rules to govern its use) thatqualifying pet food makers could put on their products to indi-cate they were made with organic ingredients in a plant thatpassed a rigorous inspection by a organics program certifyingagency. In 2004, the USDA attempted to disallow pet food mak-ers to represent their products as being in certified compliancewith USDAs NOP standards, because pet foods were not regu-lated by the USDA in the first place. (The regulation of pet foodproduction is conducted by states.) The USDA backed down inmid-2005, allowing pet food producers who met the require-ments to continue carrying the organic seal, but appointed an ad
hoc task force committee to develop organic labeling standardstailored for pet food.
We are hopeful that a strong federal organic program will berestored and strengthened to help consumers choose foods madein the cleanest, poison-free production facilities available.
When a pet food maker offers 5 or 20 varieties of its dog food,how do you choose one for yourdog? Does he have to eat asenior formula now that you have celebrated his seventh birth-
day? Must you buy small bites if your dog is tiny? Is feedinglite food better than feeding a smaller amount of regular food?Sorry; there are no uniform answers to these questions. You
must read the labels to determine how the products differ, andto guess whether the differences are significant enough to war-rant buying something other than the regular adult variety.
Grab the adult variety and whichever other variety you areconsidering. First, compare the ingredients lists and the guaran-teed analyses of the two products. You may be surprised to learnthat frequently there is no difference some varieties, just the
Puppy, Adult, Active, Senior, Lite . . . Does It Make a Difference?marketing approaches. For example, Nutro Max Adult Dog Foodis identical in ingredients and levels of protein, fat, moisture,and ash to Nutro Max Natural and Nutro Max Mini Chunk
although the kibble size of the latter is smaller.Also, compare the amounts of fat and protein in differentfoods. The amount of fat in a lite food can vary between mak-
ers; the amount of protein in seniorformulations can also differ mark-edly. Ask your vet to suggest targetfat and protein levels for yourdog,and look for a food that meets thosetargets, regardless of what type of dogfor which it is ostensibly formulated.
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6|FEBRUARY 2006 Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC
ArtemisArtemis Pet FoodsCanoga Park, CA(800) 282-5876artemispetfood.com
AzmiraAzmira Holistic Animal CareTucson, AZ(800) 497-5665azmira.com
Back to BasicsBeowulf Natural FoodsSyracuse, NY(800) 219-2558beowulfs.com
Bench & FieldHolistic Natural CanineBench & Field Pet FoodsMishawaka, IN(800) 525-4802benchandfield.com
Blue BuffaloThe Blue Buffalo CompanyWilton, CT(800) 919-2833bluebuff.com
BurnsBurns Pet NutritionChesterston, IN(877) 983-9651bpn4u.com
by Nature BrightLifeby Nature Pet & Animal FeedsLondonderry, NH(800) 367-2730bynaturepetfoods.com
California NaturalNatura Pet ProductsSanta Clara, CA(800) 532-7261naturapet.com
CanidaeCanidae Corp.San Luis Obispo, CA(800) 398-1600canidae.com
Canine CaviarCanine Caviar Pet FoodsAnaheim, CA(800) 392-7898caninecaviar.com
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers SoulDiamond Pet ProductsMeta, MO(800) 442-0402chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com
Cloud Star KibbleCloud Star CorporationSan Luis Obispo, CA(800) 361-9079cloudstar.com
Drs. Foster & SmithDrs. Foster & SmithRhinelander, WI(800) 826-7206drsfostersmith.com
Eagle Pack Holistic SelectEagle Pet Products, Inc.Mishawaka, IN(800) 255-5959eaglepack.com
EvolveTriumph Pet Industries Inc.Warwick, NY(800) 331-5144evolvepet.com
Firstmate Dog FoodTaplow FeedsNorth Vancouver, BC(604) 985-3032firstmate.com
Flint RiverFlint River RanchRiverside, CA(909) 682-5048(sold through independent reps)
FoundationsPetcurean Pet NutritionAbbotsford, BC(866) 864-6112petcurean.com
Fromm Four Star NutritionalsFromm Family FoodsMequon, WI(800) 325-6331frommfamilyfoods.com
Go! NaturalPetcurean Pet NutritionAbbotsford, BC(866) 864-6112petcurean.com
Hund-N-FlockenSolid Gold Health ProductsEl Cajon, CA(800) 364-4863solidgoldhealth.com
InnovaNatura Pet ProductsSanta Clara, CA(800) 532-7261naturapet.com
Innova EvoNatura Pet ProductsSanta Clara, CA(800) 532-7261naturapet.com
Karma OrganicNatura Pet ProductsSanta Clara, CA(800) 532-7261karmaorganic.com
SAMPLE VARIETY, FIRST 6 INGREDIENTS,MAKER, CONTACT INFO MIN % PROTEIN, FAT; MAX % FIBER, MOISTURE
WDJS 2006 TOP APPROVED DRY DOG FOODSSAMPLE VARIETY, FIRST 6 INGREDIENTS,
MAKER, CONTACT INFO MIN % PROTEIN, FAT; MAX % FIBER, MOISTURE
Power Formula: Chicken meal, white rice,
chicken fat, lamb meal, dried beet pulp, ground
brown rice . . .
30% protein; 20% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Classic Formula: Beef meal, whole ground
barley, oatmeal, whole ground grain sorghum, flax
seed, canola oil . . .
22% protein; 8% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken Formula: Chicken meal, ground corn,
chicken fat, oatmeal, brown rice, dried tomato
pomace . . .
23% protein; 19% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken Formula: Chicken meal, ground brown
rice, whole ground barley, fish meal, chicken,
chicken fat . . .
24% protein; 15% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken Formula: Chicken, chicken meal, whole
ground brown rice, whole ground barley, rye . . .
24% protein; 14% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Brown Rice & Ocean Fish Formula: Brown rice,
ocean fish meal, peas, oats, chicken fat,
sunflower oil . . .
18.5% protein; 7.5% fat; 2.2% fiber; 9% moisture
Chicken meal, lamb meal, whole ground barley,
ground Rice, whole ground oats, chicken fat . . .
28% protein; 18% fat; 5% fiber; 11% moisture
Chicken Formula: Chicken meal, ground brown
rice, ground white rice, sunflower oil, natural
flavors, taurine . . .
21% protein; 11% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
All Life Stages Formula: Chicken meal, turkey
meal, brown rice, white rice, lamb meal, chicken
fat . . .
24% protein; 14.5% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Lamb & Pearl Millet Formula: Lamb meal, grnd.
pearl millet, whole ground brown rice, chicken
fat, whitefish meal, whole ground flax seed . . .
21% protein; 12% fat; 3.3% fiber; 8% moisture
Chicken, turkey, chicken meal,
turkey meal, whole grain brown rice, whole grain
white rice . . .
24% protein; 14% fat; 3% fiber; 8% moisture
Chicken meal, ground barley, ground brown rice,
de-boned chicken, ground oats, vegetable oil . . .
30% protein; 9% fat; 2% fiber; 10% moisture
Lamb Formula: Lamb meal, lamb, brown rice,
barley, rice, rice bran . . .
21% protein; 11% fat; 3.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Fish & Oatmeal Formula:Anchovy meal, sardine
meal, salmon meal, oatmeal, ground brown rice,
pearled barley . . .
22% protein; 12% fat; 3.9% fiber; 10% moisture
Maintenance Formula: Lamb, chicken meal,
brown rice, ground white rice, chicken fat, rice
bran . . .
25% protein; 15% fat; 5.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Platinum Plus Formula: Chicken, chicken meal,
whole ground brown rice, pearled barley, organic
spelt, whole steamed potatoes . . .
25% protein; 15% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Dry Water Formula: Chicken meal, whole wheat
flour, chicken, ground rice, rice flour, ground whole
wheat . . .
22% protein; 10% fat; 5% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken & Vegetable Formula: Chicken meal,
hulless barley, oatmeal, ground rice, chicken,
chicken fat . . .
26% protein; 16% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Performance Formula: Chicken, chicken meal,
ground yellow corn, oat flour, wheat flour, chicken
fat . . .
26% protein; 18% fat; 3.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken, Fruit & Vegetable Formula: Chicken
meal, chicken, whole brown rice, whole white
rice, barley, sunflower oil . . .
24% protein; 14% fat; 3.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Lamb, lamb meal, millet, brown rice, cracked
pearled barley, oatmeal . . .
22% protein; 10% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Turkey, chicken, chicken meal, ground barley,
ground brown rice, potatoes . . .
24% protein; 14% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Turkey, chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal,
potatoes, herring meal . . . (NOTE: This is a grain-
free food.)
42% protein; 22% fat; 2.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Organic free-range chicken, organic kamut,
organic brown rice, organic oats, organic barley,
organic rice protein . . .
20% protein; 12% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
FOODS THAT ARE NEW TO THE LISTAPPEAR IN GREY BOXES
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Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL |
Lick Your ChopsHealthy Pet Foods, Inc.West Chester, PA(800) 821-4640healthypetfoodsinc.com
LifespanPetguardGreen Cove Springs, FL(800) 877-petguardpetguard.com
Limited DietsRoyal CaninSt. Charles, MO(800) 592-6687royalcanin.us
Merrick Pet FoodsMerrick Pet CareHereford, TX(800) 664-7387merrickpetcare.com
MmillenniaSolid Gold Health ProductsEl Cajon, CA(800) 364-4863solidgoldhealth.com
Natural Balance Ultra PremiumDick Van Pattens Natural BalancePacoima, CA(800) 829-4493naturalbalanceinc.com
Natural Choice UltraNutro Products, Inc.City of Industry, CA(800) 833-5330nutroproducts.com
Newmans Own OrganicsNewmans Own OrganicsAptos, CA(800) 865-2866newmansownorganics.com
NutriSourceKLN EnterprisesPerhamn, MN(800) 525-9155nutrisourcedogfood.com
OrganixCastor & Pollux Pet WorksClackamas, OR(800) 875-7518castorpolluxpet.com
Performatrin UltraPeton DistributorsLanghorne, PA(800) PET-VALUperformatrinultra.com
PHD ViandPerfect Health Diet ProductsElmsford, NY(800) 743-1502phdproducts.com
PinnacleBreeders Choice Pet FoodsIrwindale, CA(800) 255-4286breeders-choice.com
PrairieNatures VarietyLincoln, NE(888) 519-7387naturesvariety.com
Premium EdgePremium Edge Pet FoodsMeta, MO(800) 977-8797premiumedgepetfood.com
Prime LifeOwen & MandevillePet ProductsOxford, CT(888) 881-7703ompetproducts.com
Royal Canin Natural BlendRoyal Canin USA, Inc.St. Peters, MO(800) 592-6687 (US)(800) 527-2673 (Can)royalcanin.us
Timberwolf OrganicsYukon Nutritional Co.Dundee, FL(863) 439-0049timberwolforganics.com
VeRUSVeRUS Pet Foods, Inc.Abingdon, MD(888) 828-3787veruspetfoods.com
WellnessOld Mother HubbardLowell, MA(800) 225-0904oldmotherhubbard.com
Wellness SimpleFood SolutionsOld Mother HubbardLovell, MA(800) 225-0904oldmotherhubbard.com
WenaweDella Natura CommoditiesBayside, NY(866) 936-2393wenawe.com.uy
WysongWysong CorporationMidland, MI(800) 748-0188wysong.net
ZinproLincoln BiotechEast Bend, NC(800) 253-8128lincolnbiotech.com
SAMPLE VARIETY, FIRST 6 INGREDIENTS,MAKER, CONTACT INFO MIN % PROTEIN, FAT; MAX % FIBER, MOISTURE
SAMPLE VARIETY, FIRST 6 INGREDIENTS,MAKER, CONTACT INFO MIN % PROTEIN, FAT; MAX % FIBER, MOISTURE
Maintenance Formula: Chicken meal, brown
rice, rice, barley, oats, chicken fat . . .
25% protein; 14% fat; 4.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken, chicken meal, grnd whole brown rice,
grnd whole yellow corn, oatmeal, poultry fat . . .
24% protein; 15% fat; 4% fiber; 12% moisture
At press time, no information was available
concerning the new formulations of the Limited
Diets line, which was recently purchased by Royal
Canin
Cowboy Cookout Formula:Beef, oatmeal, barley,
beef meal, whole brown rice, canola oil . . .
22% protein; 14% fat; 3.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Beef, beef meal, cracked pearled barley, brown
rice, millet, rice bran . . .
22% protein; 12% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken, brown rice, duck, lamb meal,
oatmeal, pearled barley . . .
23% protein; 13% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Adult Formula: Chicken meal, whole brown rice,
ground rice, lamb meal, rice bran, sunflower oil . . .
26% protein; 12% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Adult Formula: Chicken, organic barley, organic
rice, organic milo, organic oats, organic groundflax seed . . .
21% protein; 12% fat; 4.5% fiber; 10% moisture
Adult Formula:Chicken, chicken meal, brown rice,
barley, oatmeal, whole grain ground wheat . . .
26% protein; 16% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Ultramix Formula: Chicken, chicken meal, turkey
meal, potatoes, barley, oat groats . . .
28% protein; 15% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken Formula: Chicken, chicken meal, wholebrown rice, whole barley, whole rice, oatmeal . . .
22% protein; 12% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
Viand Formula: Lamb meal, chicken meal, brown
rice, whole corn, Naturox (antioxidant
preservation system), barley . . .
26% protein; 16% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Trout and Sweet Potato Formula: Trout
oatmeal, toasted oats, herring meal, oat flour
canola oil . . .
22% protein; 10% fat; 4% fiber; 10% moisture
New Zealand Venison Formula: Venison mea
millet, pumpkin seed, canola oil, montmorillonite
natural flavoring . . .
26% protein; 16% fat; 8% fiber; 10% moisture
Chicken Adult Formula: Chicken, chicken mea
whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley
white rice, turkey meal . . .
26% protein; 15% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Prime Life Plus Formula: Chicken meal, turkey
meal, whole brown rice, ground white rice, whole
oats, whole barley . . .
25% protein; 16% fat; 5% fiber; 10% moisture
Adult Formula: Chicken meal, brown rice
chicken, oatmeal, brewers rice, chicken fat . . .
26% protein; 15% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
Lamb, Barley, Apples Formula: Lamb, salmon
meal, lamb meal, salmon, whole ground oats
whole ground barley . . .
28% protein; 18% fat; 3% fiber; 9% moisture
Menhaden Fish Meal & Potato Formula
Menhaden fish meal, potato, ground barley
ground oats, beet pulp, menhaden fish oil . . .
22% protein; 11% fat; 5% fiber; 10% moisture
Fish & Sweet Potato Formula: Whitefish
ground barley (dehulled), rye flour, Menhaden fis
meal, ground pearled barley, sweet potatoes . .
22% protein; 12% fat; 3% fiber; 11% moisture
Venison Formula: Ground brown rice, venison
brown rice protein, flax seed, sunflower oil
natural venison flavor . . .
21% protein; 12% fat; 3% fiber; 11% moisture
Adult Formula: Organic Uruguayan beef, organic
chicken, organic brown rice, organic canola seed
organic flax seed meal, organic sunflower seed . . .
20% protein; 12% fat; 5% fiber; 10.5% moisture
Anergen Formula: Lamb, ground brown rice
ground oat groats, ground flax seeds, dried yeast
dl-methionine . . .
24% protein; 12% fat; 4.5% fiber; 12% moisture
Skin & Coat Formula: Menhaden fish mea
brown rice, oatmeal, potato meal, ground barley
herring meal . . .
22% protein; 12% fat; 3% fiber; 10% moisture
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In October 2004 , we published When Foods Go Bad, alert-ing dog owners that problems can arise in the manufacture ofpet food that result in tainted product that can sicken or evenkill dogs who eat enough of it. We highlighted three of the larg-est pet food disasters two that killed dozens of dogs and anotherthat caused serious vomiting in hundreds of animals.
When pet food is in production, every so often the manufac-turer pulls finished samples off the line. These samples arelabeled with the date and time and stored for at least the shelflife of the food. If the pet food company receives a report froman owner who is concerned about the appearance or odor of thefood, or whose dog has had a bad reaction to the food, the firstthing their consumer representatives do is to ask the owner forthe date-code information. (This is one of the reason we en-courage people to store dry dog food in its original bag, even ifthey then put the bag in a container. This way, the owner is en-sured of having the date-code available until the food is gone.)
With this information, the company can quickly look up thesample that correlates to the batch that the owner has. Then theycan subject the sample to any needed tests or examinations to
determine if the problem the owner has experienced could haveoriginated in the product manufacture. Sometimes, the food issubject to conditions in shipping or storage that could havecaused the problem (moisture, heat, or, especially, both), andthis avenue will also be explored by the company.
Rarely, no obvious cause is found to explain the illness ordeath of the affected pets. Laboratory tests and investigationswill be conducted by the pet food company, its contract manu-facturer (if it does not manufacture its food at its own plant),state feed control officials. If the event was serious enough, eventhe Food and Drug Administrations Center for Veterinary Medi-cine (FDA CVM) will send investigators to examine the plantand scrutinize the its records and manufacturing practices. (This
was the case in 2003, when some of Petcureans dog and catfoods, at the time made by Merrick Pet Foods, Inc., were linkedto the death of at least 25 dogs; no cause was ever determined.)
Usually, however, a cause is found. The most common haz-ards that can make dogs ill are types of mycotoxins toxicsubstances that are by-products of certain species of mold (fungi)that can infect grain crops, especially crops that were subject tomoisture late in the growing season or storage. Mycotoxins arequite stable in heat, so they cant be cooked out in pet foodproduction. The two that most frequently affect dogs are:
I Vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol or DON), which, as the namesuggests, causes severe vomiting and can result in the dogs
death. Vomitoxin most commonly affects wheat and barley.
I Aflatoxin, a toxin that is manufactured by one of severalstrains ofAspergillus. Corn is the most common host to the moldthat makes aflatoxin. Liver damage and death can result whendogs eat food that is contaminated with aflatoxins; the more thedog ate, the worse his prognosis.
Usually, mycotoxins end up in the news only when a mas-sive contamination has affected a huge amount of pet food or a
large number of pets. This occurred last December, when Dia-mond Pet Foods announced a recall of 19 of the pet foodsmanufactured at its Gaston, South Carolina, production plantafter at least 23 dog deaths were traced to aflatoxin in its foods.(These included dog and cat foods sold under the Diamond,Country Value, and Professional brand names; for a list of the
foods and lot numbers, see the Web site that Diamond set up,diamondpetrecall.com, or call the company at 866-214-6945.)In our July 2000 issue, however, we published an article
(Hidden Killers in Dog Food) about a dog who suffered bi-zarre symptoms from eating a food that was infected withaflatoxin. Tests revealed that the food contained 40 parts perbillion aflatoxin twice the amount allowed in dog food, butabout half as much as the amount that can cause dog deaths.While never the subject of a recall, and apparently not affectinglarge numbers of dogs, the food contained enough aflatoxin tosicken at least one dog who was sensitive to the toxin. The Ger-man Shepherd suffered from lethargy, extreme sensitivity to light(enough to make him refuse to go outside during the daytime),heat intolerance (which continued for years after the episode),
and other neurological disorders including trembling and an un-characteristic anxiety.
Without large numbers of dead dogs and the resulting mediacoverage, most owners (and even many veterinarians) may neverlearn about the possibility that a mycotoxin can cause a dogsliver failure or neurological problem. However, this should beconsidered any time a dog with those symptoms is fed dry food,especially foods that contain corn, wheat, or barley.
Pet food makers generally have a number of strategies inplace to prevent mycotoxin contamination. This may start withingredient purchasing contracts with reliable producers, butshould also include inspection and testing of each load of rawingredients before the delivery is accepted at the manufacturing
plant. This can be quite challenging at the highest-volume pro-duction facilities, however. This is undoubtedly why, historically,the largest mycotoxin-poisoning events have involved compa-nies that produce and sell massive amounts of pet food: NaturesRecipe in 1995, Doane Pet Care in 1998, and Diamond in 2005.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR DOG
First, store your dogs food in a cool, dry place; exposure tomoisture and heat can promote the growth of any mold that ispresent in the food.
Next, if your dogs food appears moldy or smells bad, dontfeed it to your dog. Contact the company, with the bags date-code in hand, and report the problem to them. Similarly, if your
dog suddenly refuses to eat a food that he has previously en-joyed, dont keep giving it to him. With their keen sense of smell,dogs are probably able to detect the mold that produces the toxin,and may be tipping you off to its presence.
Finally, if your dog develops any signs of a bad reaction to afood, especially vomiting, diarrhea, extreme lethargy, a yellow-ing of the skin or whites of the eyes (indicating liver damage),or any neurological symptoms, stop feeding the food to the dog,take him to a veterinarian as soon as possible, and contact thecompany with the foods date-code in hand.
Yes, Dog Food Can Kill
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BY PAT MILLER
Right On Target
D
This seemingly frivolous behavior has numerous practical applications.
TRAINING
uring the two-plus decades that Itrained my dogs in old-fashionedobedience classes, I never learnedthe pervasively useful and versatilebehavior of targeting. The closest I
came was the narrow application to go-outs in advanced level competition classes not really the same thing at all. Even to-day, despite its usefulness, targeting is nota widely known behavior outside positiveprofessional training and competitioncircles. When I introduce the concept in mybasic good manners classes I get a sea ofblank stares in response, as if each humanclient is thinking, Why on earth would Iwant to teach my dog to do that?
Targeting means teaching your dog totouch a designated body part to a designatedlocation. Nose targeting is most commonlytaught, but it can also be trained with a frontor hind paw, a hip or shoulder, even an ear
ally touches your skin close only counts
in horseshoes. Be sure to click! the instanhis nose makes contact with your skin. Ifyou consistently click!too soon, you mighteach him to stop before he touches you. Iyou consistently click! too late, youll teachhim that moving his nose away from you isthe way to earn a reward.
When youve clicked and rewarded yourdogs first touch, remove your target handthen offer it again, in the same positionWhen he sniffs, click! and treat. Do it againAnd again.Notice you have not used a verbal cue yet!
Most dogs will do the initial sniff eas-ily, due to a behavior phenomenon knownas novelty of stimulus. Whats this?! youdog says, and sniffs to check it out. Be sureyoure ready to catch that first curious snifwith your click! and treat, and youre welon your way.
If your dog doesnt sniff your offeredpalm, rub some hot dog or other moist treaon your skin to make your hand more enticing. When he sniffs or licks, click! and treat
or tail! The designated target can also beanything imaginable, including the palm ofyour hand or your closed fist, a finger, tar-get stick, spot on the wall or door, or justabout any object you choose to ask your dogto target to.
The question is, why wouldyou want toteach your dog to touch his nose (or otherbody part) to a designated spot on cue? Thereasons are legion. For example:
I Targeting can be used to boost the con-fidence level of a timid dog.
I It can prompt a dog to offer a new be-havior without a food lure.
I You can use it to keep a dogs attentionfocused on you instead of on distractions.
I Your dog can turn appliances on and off,close doors, ring bells.
I Target as an emergency recall cue.
I Targeting is used to teach dogs to lo-cate the contact zones in agility.
I Your dog can learn to play the piano!
I Its useful for teaching lateral movementfor Canine Freestyle (dancing with yourdog) and APDT Rally.
I Its easy to train, its just plain fun, anddogs love it!
Target practiceIts ridiculously easy to teach. We start inour classes by having the dog target to hisowners hand, since that doesnt require yetanother piece of equipment to juggle alongwith clicker, treats, and leash. Hold out youropen hand at your dogs nose level, palmfacing him, fingers pointed toward theground. When he sniffs or licks your hand,click! your clicker and give him a treat fromyour otherhand. Make sure his nose actu-
TM
I
The Whole Dog Journal
WHAT YOU CAN DO . . .
Teach your dog to target as a
way to help him focus his
attention on you. This can be
useful when trying to get him
safely and calmly past some-
thing that scares or arouses his
aggression.
Start by teaching your dog to
target to your hand; use a target
stick (homemade or commer-
cially made) later to extend the
range of the target.
Even old or nonambulatory dogs
can be taught to target with
their noses; use this sort of
behavior to keep your dog
engaged and his mind sharp.
I
One of the most valuable uses for targetraining is to teach your dog to ring a belwhen she needs to go outside.
I
TRAINING
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Your dog may sniff your newly offeredhand a few times and then ignore it, look-ing directly at your treat hand. Novelty ofstimulus has worn off, and hes going di-rectly to the source of the treat. You canalmost hear him say, Why am I looking atthis hand? The GOOD STUFF comes fromover there! When this happens, hide yourtreat hand behind your back, offer him the
target hand, and wait. He should soon sniffthe offered hand. If he doesnt, rub a treaton it and offer it again. If that doesnt do itfor him, take a step or two backward andoffer him the target as he moves toward you.When he touches, click! and treat.
Repeat this step over and over, until hedeliberately bumps your hand with his nose.This is the heart-stopping Aha! momentthat positive trainers love when you cansee that your dog knows that the way to makethe click! happen is to touch your hand.
Some dogs get it very quickly. Louis,a Border Collie client of mine in Santa Cruz,California, got it in three repetitions. Oth-ers take longer for the light bulb to go on,depending on variables such as the ownersskill and timing, the dogs interest in thetraining game, the desirability of the treatreward, and the level of distractions in thesurrounding environment.
You can enhance your dogs learningspeed by working in a quiet location, usingvery delicious treats, and paying close at-tention to your click! timing.
Moving targetsAs soon as your dog is deliberately and con-sistently bumping your hand with his noseyou can add the verbal cue. Say Touch!just before hisnose touches your skin. Click!and reward. Gradually offer the verbal cueearlier and earlier, until he associates theverbal cue with the targeting behavior, andis responding to the cue.
Now you can raise the bar. So far, yourdog understands that hes supposed to touchhis nose to your hand when hes sitting infront of you and the target is presented tohim at nose level. Its time to change the
criteria.Now you want him to touch the targetwhereverit is, even if its moving. Backaway from him, offer the target and sayTouch. As he gets up to follow you, keepmoving slowly backward. When he catchesup to you and touches the moving target,click! and treat. Move your hand off to oneside and ask him to touch it. Click! and treat.Move it to the other side. Move it lower,toward the floor. Move it higher, so he has
to jump up to touch it. Put it above a chairseat, so he has to place his front feet on thechair to reach up and touch it.
When hes really confident about touch-ing the target, put the behavior on a scheduleof random reinforcement ask him totouch two times before you click! and treat.Then three times. Then once. Then once.Then four times. Then two times. Vary the
number of times you ask him to touch be-fore he gets clicked; dont always make itharder and harder, or he may get frustratedand give up.
New targetsNow you can teach him to touch other tar-gets. A target stick can be a small branchoff a tree, a dowel from the hardware store,a pencil or Tinker toy (for small dogs), oran official target stick purchased from apet supply source. If your target is home-made, put an eraser topper on one end todesignate the actual target. You will accepttouches nearthe topper at first, but youllultimately shape the touches to the actualtarget by clicking only those touches thatget closer and closer to the topper.
Hold your target stick perpendicular tothe ground with the target end near yourdogs nose. Some dogs will sniff the end ofthe target stick the first time you offer it.Click! and treat. Others may need a bit ofhotdog rubbed on the topper to motivatethem to touch this new object. Still othersmay be afraid of the stick. If your dog isafraid, hold the stick so most of it is hidden
under your arm with only an inch of the tipprotruding from your hand.
When your dog will touch the tip, ex-tend the stick a little at a time, until hestouching it at full-length. A little at a time
varies from one dog to the next. Some dogswill accept a six-inch increase, others wiltolerate only half-inch increments. Starsmall to avoid frightening your dog, andwork up to larger increases if he seems tobe tolerating them well. As soon as hesreadily touching the tip of the stick starusing the verbal Touch cue.
When hes proficient at touching the tar-
get stick, use it to extend your reach. Withthree feet of arm length and three feet oftarget stick you can get him to touch thingsa full six feet away from you. Place the tipof the target stick against a door, wall, orother object to teach him to touch otherthings, including people. This is a useful toofor encouraging a timid dog to be braveWhen hes very confident about touchinghis target stick you can place the targetcloser and closer to a scary object; your dogwill become braver about approaching thescary object because of his very positive association with targeting.
You can also teach your dog to touchthings by holding the target object in yourhand. Hold a bell tied to a string in the palmof your hand and say Touch! He tries totouch your hand, but the bell is in the wayso he touches it instead. Perfect! Click! andtreat. Repeat several times, then add theword bell to your verbal cue. Say Belltouch! Hell respond to the familiarTouch! part of the cue. Click! and rewardWhen hes associated the word bell withtouching that particular object, you can dropthe touch part of the cue. Gradually pay
out string so the bell hangs below your handUsing just the Bell! cue, do several
repetitions of click! and treat at each newlength of string, until the bell is hanging fullength below your hand.
Some dogs would rather touch a targewith their paws. Be careful not to rewardthem for a rough raking motion!
To get your dog started, rub somethingdelicious on your hand and click! andreward him for a sniff or a lick.
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You may need to shape for touches thatare strong enough to actually make the bellring. If he touches it too softly, start shap-ing by clicking only the harder touches, untilhe is consistently bumping the ball hardenough to make it ring.
Now his Bell behavior can alert youto whatever you desire. Many people hangthe bell on a door and teach the dog to ring
the bell when he has to go out.
New body partsFront paws are the second most frequentlyused body part for targeting. If your dog isnaturally pawsy you can capture the be-havior with a click! and treat when hespawing at something something its okayfor him to paw at. Or elicit the behavior bypunching holes in the top of a baby food jarand putting something scrumptiously deli-cious inside. When he paws to get at it, click!and treat. Repeat this until you can predictthe paw behavior, then add the cue. Be sureto use a differentcue. If you want Touchto mean touch with your nose, then youmight use Foot to mean touch with a paw.
If your dog wont paw at a desirableobject, use a treat lure over his head to gethim to lift a paw off the ground slightly.Move the treat slightly to the right (his left)to put him a bit off balance and get him tolift his right front paw. Click! and treat.Repeat until hes offering to lift his paw, thenhold that baby jar or other target object
where his foot will touch it as he lowers it.Then add the cue.
When hell touch the jar on cue, you canuse your Foot cue to teach him to touchdifferent objects. This behavior is often usedas a signal in scent work, so the dog can tellhis person that hes found the designatedscent, object, person, or animal.
Dogs naturally use front paws and noses
to do things, so its easy to teach them touse those body parts to target. Other bodyparts hind paws, hips, shoulder, ears, tendto just go along for the ride. It can be moreof a challenge to teach the dogs to be awareof these parts, and to use them deliberately.
A hip touch can be useful for getting lat-eral movements often utilized in CanineFreestyle and for the side-step in APDTRallyobedience. Desensitize your dog to a hiptarget such as a Ping Pong paddle by touch-ing him on his hips and hindquarters withthe object until he doesnt react. If hes quiteworried about it, feed treats as you touchhim until hes no longer worried.
Now put the target aside, and just workon getting a side-step by holding a treat infront of your dogs nose as you stand by hisright side. Move the treat slowly in an arctoward his left hip. As he steps to followthe treat, his right hip will move toward you.Click! and treat. Repeat until he does thiseasily, then practice on the other side as wellso his left hip moves toward you.
Build up to several steps on each side,
and then youre ready to pick up your tar-get again. Hold your target next to yourdogs hip and use a treat to get him to side-step. When his hip bumps the target, click!and treat. Gradually increase distance untilhe will move his hip six inches to the tar-get. Be sure to click! and treat each time.
When hes doing this easily, add yourverbal cue. Remember to use a new cue forthe new body part you might selectBump as your Hip Touch cue. Graduallyfade the use of your treat lure following yourBump cue, until he will touch his hip tothe target on cue without the lure.
Endless applicationsNeed more ideas? You can utilize the nose-touch behavior to move your dog into heel
position and keep him there by using yourhand as a target next to your leg, or a targetstick, for a small dog. You can teach him toclose cupboard doors by having him targetto a spot on the door. (Nose-touch is a bet-ter choice than a paw for this, unless youwant him to scratch at doors!) You can teachhim to turn lights on and off by pushing upon a stick attached to a light switch or bytouching a Touch Lamp with his nose orpaw. He can do object discrimination bylearning to identify and use nose or paw totouch various objects (or people) by name.
A hind foot touch can be useful for stack-ing a dog in the confirmation ring.As you can see, the opportunities for ap-
plication of the touch behavior are virtuallyendless limited only by your creativity.
The following are indispensible resources for anyone interested in target training;all are available from DogWise (800-776-2665 or dogwise.com).
Right On Target! A Collection of Fun Behaviors to Teach Using Targeting
by Mandy Book and Cheryl S. Smith; Dogwise Publications, 2006. 170 pages, $20I had the pleasure of reviewing this book, due to be released this month, in ad-
vance of its actual publication, and all I can say is that it is a targeting-lovers dream.Veteran clicker trainers Book and Smith joined forces to present dozens of ideas fortraining and applying targeting behaviors. Step-by-step instructions and trouble-shooting sections will put you and your dog on the right track for targeting success.
Take A Bow, Wow! andBow Wow Take 2 (videos)by Virginia Broitman (Take a Bow, Wow! is co-produced bySherri Lippman); self-published, 1996 and 1997 respectively,$25 each
TheBow-Wow videos are old friends, and have lost none oftheir value in the almost 10 years since their production. Funand funny, with clear explanations and demonstrations of teach-ing behavior using the clicker and, in many cases, targeting. Theseare a great resource if youre one of those folks who learns bet-ter by seeing than reading. Both are just over a half-hour long.
More Fun With Targeting
Pat Miller, CPDT, is WDJs Training Editor.
Miller lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site
of her Peaceable Paws training center. For
book purchasing or contact information,
see Resources, page 24.
This killer whale has been trained to targetwith her nose, tail, or a flipper. This helpsthe trainer position the whale for newbehaviors, or for an examination.
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BY CJ PUOTINEN
What Are the Alternatives?
T
Nonconventional cancer treatments appeal to many dog owners.
he high-tech world of modern medi-cine has so many weapons that itswar on cancer arsenal promisessomething for everyone. But allalong, there have been patients, phy-
sicians, veterinarians, and animal caregiverswho refuse chemotherapy, radiation treat-ments, surgery, prescription drugs, and otheroncology protocols.
What do they use instead? Everythingfrom an improved diet to homeopathy, me-dicinal herbs, vitamins, nutritionalsupplements, and energy therapies. The aimof all of these treatments, which are usedsingly or in combination, is to engage thehealing properties of Mother Nature whileavoiding debilitating side effects.
Rather than describe every alternativecancer treatment an impossible task thatwould fill a book well describe severalfrequently used alternative therapies. Theseprotocols tend to be simple and affordable,especially compared with conventionalmedical therapies. In some cases, they com-
pletely cured a dogs cancer. In others, theysignificantly improved the patients qualityof life, resulting in companionship and anactive lifestyle for months or years beyondthe original prognosis. Unfortunately, there
are no guarantees, for no treatment alwayscures cancer or extends the patientss life.Sometimes, nothing works.
If you decide to use one or more of theseprotocols, please do so with the help of aknowledgeable holistic veterinarian or asympathetic conventional vet who canmonitor your dogs condition, document hisor her progress, and provide supportthroughout the dogs treatment.
This can be especially important whenthe patient goes through rapid detoxifica-tion or a so-called healing crisis wherethe dog gets dramatically worse before get-ting better something any natural therapymight trigger. Information, encouragement,and assistance from someone who under-stands whats going on can be a blessing,especially if the symptoms are unexpectedor dramatic, says trainer Nancy Strouss,of Nyack, New York, who has lost sixGolden Retrievers and one black Lab tocancer.
For information on product sources,
dosages, and specific recommendations, seethe Resources box on page 15.
NutritionDiet is so important in the treatment of can-cer that all holistic veterinarians encouragetheir clients to improve the quality of theirdogs food. Organizations like the WestonA. Price Foundation and your local farmersmarket or co-op can help you locate organic,pasture-fed ingredients, including raw orcultured dairy products.
Unlike products from factory farms, the
meat and milk of pasture-fed animals con-tain conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, whichinhibits the development of tumors. Upgrad-ing to pasture-fed ingredients can actuallyhelp your dog fight cancer.
As mentioned in Dont Despair, JustCare (January 2006), carbohydrates feedcancer cells, while fats do not. This may ex-plain why some dogs with cancer haveresponded well to a diet recommended forhuman patients by the late Johanna Budwig,
MEDICINE
PhD. A German pharmacologist, chemist,and physicist, Dr. Budwig is best known forher research on fats and oils and for her useof flaxseed oil and sulphur-rich quarkcheese (a cultured dairy product similar tocottage cheese) to treat cancer. She advo-cated the use of nutrition, sunlight (anatural source of vitamin D), and stress man-agement as a stand-alone alternative cancertreatment.
Five years ago, Misty, a German Shep-herd Dog belonging to Craig Stauffer inSunnyvale, California, developed mammary
cancer. Following the biopsy of two tumors,Misty was given six months to live. Therecommended treatment was the removal ofall mammary tissue followed by chemo-therapy, says Stauffer.
Instead, Stauffer researched alternativesand learned of Dr. Budwigs treatment. Hebegan supplementing Mistys dog food withflax seed oil, cottage cheese, ground flaxseed, garlic, and broccoli. Mistys cancerdisappeared, and she enjoyed an active, ath-
TM
I
The Whole Dog Journal
WHAT YOU CAN DO . . .
Find a really good veterinarian
NOW before your dog is ill
and develop a good working
relationship with her. If your dog
is diagnosed with cancer, you
will need her support and
willingness to try alternative
therapies.
Look for alternatives that work
well for your dogs specific
cancer.
Choose a therapy that will be
comfortable and possible for
you and your dog.
MEDICINE
I
I
In July 2005, Jack, a five-year-old Siberian
Husky owned by Beth Wappler of Mesa,
Arizona, was diagnosed with anal gland
adenocarcinoma. He underwent surgery
immediately, and was given a prognosis
of six to nine months to live.
On the advice of a holistic vet, Wapplerstarted Jack on artemisinin (an alternative
anticancer drug)
and some dietary
s u p p l e m e n t s .
Seven months
later, he appears
to be cancer-free.
His thrilled owner
says Jack is as
energetic as a
two-year-old dog.
JACK: A COMPLEMENTARY MEDICALCANCER CASE HISTORY
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letic lifestyle with no recurrence of the dis-ease. We lost her in May 2005 to old age,Stauffer reports, shortly before her 14thbirthday.
Because flax seed oil is highly perish-able and quickly goes rancid at roomtemperature, this ingredient requires con-stant refrigeration. Coconut researcherBruce Fife, ND (see Crazy About Coconut
Oil, October 2005), suggests replacing theflax seed oil in this protocol with coconutoil. Coconut oil is far more stable than flaxseed oil, he explains, and it has signifi-cant anti-tumor properties.
Carbohydrates feed cancer cells, so feedcanine cancer patients a grain-free, low-carbor no-carb diet. (See Feed the Dog, Starvethe Cancer, November 2003.)
Antioxidant supplementsAntioxidants are naturally occurring sub-stances that protect cells from damagecaused by oxygen molecules known as freeradicals, which are believed to encouragethe development of tumors. Antioxidantsinclude beta-carotene (found in carrots, can-taloupe, and other orange-colored foods),vitamin E (found in nuts, wheat germ, andsome vegetables), vitamin A (found in liver,egg yolks, and cod liver oil), vitamin C(found in citrus fruit, hot peppers, and leafyvegetables), and the mineral selenium(found in grains).
Human clinical trials suggest that syn-thetic vitamin E may contribute to, ratherthan prevent, certain illnesses, something
that advocates of whole-food nutrition havelong maintained.
Some herbs and nutritional supplementsused in the treatment of cancer are (or areclaimed to be) powerful antioxidants. Anti-oxidant supplements may be helpful incombination with most natural cancer treat-ments, but they can interfere with others.Be sure to study a protocol carefully beforeadding antioxidants, and for best results usefood-source rather than synthetic products.
Other supplements
Melatonin, a hormone produced in thebrains pineal gland in response to darkness,helps us sleep and has potent antioxidantproperties. It is a popular treatment for ca-nine thunder phobia and separation anxiety,and because it has been shown to help hu-mans recover from breast and prostatecancer, its being given to some dogs withthese conditions.
Several years ago, shark cartilageseemed to be the most promising alterna-
tive treatment for cancer, but uneven results,quality problems, insufficient research, andconcern about the ecological effects of sharkhunting reduced its popularity. Bovine car-tilage shares similar properties, and someholistic veterinarians prescribe cartilagesupplements for cancer.
When New Jersey resident GayleRobersons 11-year-old Toy Poodle devel-
oped an almost non-stop gagging cough anda heart murmur, an X-ray revealed a majormass in his chest. None of the medicationshis veterinarian prescribed produced results,so Roberson experimented with bovine car-tilage. By the end of the first bottle, he wascoughing less, she says. After the second,he was so much better that I had his chestX-rayed again. The mass had almost com-pletely disappeared and his heart murmurwas downgraded from a 5 to a 1. This wassensational, and he lived to be 17!
Beta glucan (more correctly called Beta-1,3/1,6-Glucan) is a simple sugar derivedfrom the cell wall of Saccharomycesceresvsiae, common bakers yeast. Re-searchers have been testing its immune-boosting properties since the 1940s.
Ted Keller, a registered pharmacist inColorado, says he has seen dramatic resultswith beta glucan in human andanimal can-cer patients. The best example I can giveis a dog diagnosed with T-cell lymphomaand given six months to live. Thanks to betaglucan, the dog was still alive two yearslater, to the amazement of her veterinarians.. . . The earlier the diagnosis, the better the
beta glucan works. For melanoma, betaglucan works wonders as long as it hasntmetastasized to the brain.
Herbal treatmentsSearch online for herbal cancer treatmentsand youll find thousands. A few are backedby serious research, some are hyped bymultilevel-marketing companies, most aredescribed with exaggerated claims, manyhave been used for centuries in traditionalmedicine, and some have saved dogs lives.Distinguishing one from the other requires
careful study or the help of an herbalist.Several reputable companies makeherbal tonics, teas, extracts, and other prod-ucts that help dogs fight cancer. Somecontain medicinal mushrooms (such asmaitake or reishi), aloe vera, cats claw, orChinese herbs, all of which are highly re-garded as natural cancer treatments.All YouEver Wanted to Know about Herbs for Pets,
a terrific book by Mary Wulff-Tilford andGregory Tilford, is helpful for anyone in-
terested in treating pets botanically.The Tilfords favorite anticancer herb is
red clover, which, they say, inhibits the activities of carcinogenic compounds, helpsimprove blood structure, and strengthenslymphatic functions that are crucial incleansing cell tissues throughout the body
Red clover also contains plant steroconstituents that may inhibit the production
of blood vessels that feed newly formed tumors.Herbs for Pets includes instructionsfor making a tonic/support formula for can-cer patients by combining red clover, theChinese immune-boosting herb astragalusdandelion root (which gently stimulates theliver, improves digestion, and assists withthe removal of waste), and garlic (which hasits own anticancer, antitumor properties).
The herbal formula Essiac (described inDont Despair, Just Care, January 2006)is another tonic tea that enhances immunefunction and helps the body heal itself.
The yellow spice turmeric is becomingknown as a cancer fighter, even by conven-tional medical practitioners. Turmerics keyingredient is curcumin, a phytopolyphenopigment with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties. Curcumin helps starvetumors by disrupting their blood supply, andit stimulates the immune system, enhancescardiovascular function, and improves di-gestion. Some cases have been reported inwhich turmeric or curcumin caused tumorson a dogs head or body to turn black anddisappear.
We introduced WDJ readers to Austra
lian herbalist Robert McDowell in BuyingTime to Spend Together (October 1998)which described how McDowell helped Jeta 10-year-old Belgian Shepherd, recoverfrom bone cancer. The herbalist continuesto work with canine cancer patients aroundthe world. His standard approach to all cancers involves maritime pine bark extract, animmune system tonic, in combination witha specific support formula directed at thepatients particular cancer. Maritime pineis a special antioxidant nearly 25 times morepowerful than vitamin C, says McDowell
Chinese herbsChinese herbal medicine is a primary com-ponent of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM). In conventional Western medicinedrugs are chosen for their ability to exerspecific physiological actions; in TCM, thepractitioner chooses treatments, includingherbs, based on the manifestations of dis-ease and energetic imbalances he detects ineach individuals body. In other words, a
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TCM practitioner may prescribe differentherbs (and other treatments, including acu-puncture) to different individuals with thesame disease. Most of the herbs (and min-eral or animal-based ingredients ofpredominantly herbal medicines) used byTCM practitioners have been used to treatpeople for thousands of years.
When Audrey Blakes nine-year-old
Golden Retriever, Dylan, was diagnosedwith hemangiosarcoma in November 2002,Blake knew she didnt want Dylan to un-dergo conventional therapy.
Surgery wasnt an option because hisliver was involved, and I didnt want to puthim through chemotherapy, says theRiverhead, New York resident. Anotherfactor was that two of my friends had justlost their Goldens to hemangiosarcoma.Both dogs died a few weeks after surgery.The odds werent good, so I decided thateven if all we had was three months together,I wanted those months to be as comfortableas possible for him.
Fortunately for Dylan, his veterinarianwas Dr. Jiu Jia Wen, who majored in acu-puncture and traditional Chinese herbalmedicine at Beijing Agricultural Universityin China. Dr. Wen prepared a blend of 20Chinese herbs that Blake added to Dylansfood. The herbs were easy to administer andaffordable, she says. By their next checkup,the tumor had stopped growing, and by thefollowing month, it was shrinking.
I was ecstatic, says Blake. Dylan wasactive, playful, and happy. After about a
year, the tumor began to grow again and asecond herbal blend was added to his food.Eventually, the cancer won out, and Dylandied shortly before his 12th birthday.
I still miss him, says Blake, but I haveno regrets. I would use this same protocolagain, and I recommend it to others. Olderdogs and hemangiosarcoma are never agood combination, but the Chinese herbsworked incredibly well.
ArtemisininThree years ago, WDJ introduced readers
to artemisinin, anextract derived fromthe Chinese herbArtem-esia annua,alsoknown as sweet Annieor annual wormwood(see New Hope forTreating Cancer, May2003). A traditional curefor malaria, the plant isnow a treatment for
cancer. Like the para-site that causesmalaria, cancer cells hoard iron in order toreplicate their DNA . When artemisinincomes in contact with iron, it becomes atoxic chemical, releasing free radicals thatdestroy affected parasites or cancer cells.
For a while, it seemed artemisinin mightbe the magic bullet that would quickly curecancer in humans and pets. In 2003, a re-
search study was under way at theWashington Cancer Institute Department ofOrthopedic Oncology at Georgetown Uni-versity Medical Center, vets who used theherb were reporting promising results, andan artemisinin and cancer online forumattracted hundreds of members.
Now the dust is settling. The researchstudy was cancelled for lack of funding, andnot every dog who took artemisinin im-proved. In addition, some veterinariansworried about adverse side effects.
Despite these disappointments andconcerns, artemisinin remains a popular al-ternative. Henry Lai, PhD, Narendra P.Singh, MD, and other researchers at theUniversity of Washington, Se-attle, have published artemisininstudies in peer-reviewed medical journals. Because of their solidtheoretical and experimental re-sults, even conventionallytrained veterinarians takeartemisinin seriously.
I can think of at least threereasons why some dogs have notbeen completely cured of cancer
by artemisinin, Dr. Lai told us. First,artemisinin treatment is usually started toolate, when dogs are at an advanced stage ofcancer. Second, I dont think artemisinin iscompletely effective unless we can prolongits half-life of action and increase its selec-tivity. We are working on solutions for thatproblem, but they will be expensive. Thethird reason is that a lot of owners feed highdoses of antioxidants such as vitamins C andE to their dogs, and antioxidants counter-act the action of artemisinin.
Artemisinin works as an oxidant, ex-
plains Dr. Lai; therefore its action isopposite that of antioxidants. It isknown that antioxidants decrease theeffect of artemisinin on malarialparasites, and we have experimentaldata showing that this is also true forcancer cells. It seems that people indeveloping countries respond betterto artemisinin than people in the U.S.,possibly because they dont take a lotof antioxidant supplements.
Giving antioxidants to dogs severalhours after artemisinin is one possible so-lution. But some antioxidants, such asvitamin E, stay in the body for a long time,says Dr. Lai, so they would continue tocounteract artemisinin. Stopping antioxi-dants during the initial phase of artemisinintreatment might produce better results.
Even if cancer returns and causes the
patients death, dogs on artemisinin oftenoutlive their original prognosis. KathyRowleys Greyhound, Tera, was diagnosedwith a bone tumor in her lower left hind leg.That was on a Tuesday, Rowley recalls.The following Saturday we started her onartemisinin. The next day she seemed to feelbetter, and on Monday she was bouncingoff the wall and acting totally normal. Wecouldnt believe it.
Two weeks later our vet examined herleg and was shocked that she had no pain.He suggested we do X-rays in three months,even though we knew the odds of her stillbeing alive in three months were slim. Butshe kept getting better, and after three
months, the tumor hadshrunk dramatically.The vet said he wouldnot have believed it ifhe hadnt seen it withhis own eyes.
Teras tumor didntdisappear but it didntbegin to grow againuntil the followingspring. We increased
her dose of artemisinin, says Rowley, butfor some reason it just stopped working.When pain began to incapacitate her, weknew it was time. Tera died in July 2004,shortly before her 10th birthday. Theartemisinin might not have cured her, butthe extra 14 months that we shared with ourlively, happy dog were nothing short of amiracle.
Cancer salvesEscharotic salves, often called black salves,were so popular in the early 20th century
that entire hospitals were devoted to theiruse. The name comes from the eschar (thickdried scab) that develops after the salvedestroys tissue to which it is applied. Mostsuch salves contain bloodroot (Sangui-naria canadensis) and zinc chloride, apreservative said to enhance the effective-ness of the salve.
Holistic health guru Andrew Weil, MD,revived interest in cancer salves when hewrote about using one on his six-year-old
Dylan lived comfort-ably with cancer forthree years.
Teras bone cancer washeld at bay for 14 months.
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Rhodesian Ridgeback, Coca, who devel-oped a growth on her right side near theshoulder. Dr. Weil describes the experiencein his book, Spontaneous Healing, conclud-ing, The end result was a perfectly circular,slightly depressed area of skin, with no traceof tumor. The bloodroot had removed itmore neatly than one could have done witha scalpel. Later, hair grew over the spot,concealing it completely. I could not have
asked for a better outcome, especially as thedog had shown no signs of discomfort.In humans, treatment with escharotics
can be painful and scarring. While dogstend to have higher pain thresholds thanhumans, this is still not a treatment to ap-proach casually. Keeping the affected areabandaged and attending to its healing canbe a challenge.
In 1998, Gail Tenney of Mahwah, NewJersey, learned that Jo, her 11-year-old
mixed-breed dog, had mesenchymal neo-plasm, a non-specific slow-growing cancerof the soft tissue. Jo had two tumors, oneon a toe on her front foot, the other on aback leg.
The oncologist I consulted said hewould remove Jos leg and toe, recallsTenney. I rejected that idea right away.Even surgery to remove the tumors withoutamputation could be dangerous because of
her advancing heart disease and elevatedliver enzymes. I had already used a blacksalve to remove a wart from the top of herhead, so in March of 1999, I decided to trythis method.
The tumor on Jos foot, now the size ofa walnut, responded just like Cocas skingrowth. The second, near her tail, was largerthan a baseball. Following the advice of thesalves distributor, Tenney asked Jos vet-erinarian to inject the tumor with salve
diluted in saline solution.Exactly like the first tumor, she recalls
on the third day it started to turn hardand black, then began to peel away fromher body. It bled all over her bed, and shereally hurt. Even on pain pills, she whimpered. On the fifth day, the tumor fell offWhat a mess! There was a huge openingon her leg with all kinds of green-yellowpus oozing from it. The open wound was
the size of my fist.For two weeks I did nothing but cleanup blood and attend to Jo 24 hours a dayAnother vet I consulted told me to wash thewound twice a day and apply betadine. Iused a garden hose to really clean the sorebut it still oozed fluid. What was interest-ing is that as soon as the tumor fell off, Joseemed really happy with no discomfort atall, even when I touched the wound. Likethe wound on her foot, it gradually healed.
CANCER SALVESSpontaneous Healing, by Andrew Weil, MD. Fawcett Columbine, 1999
Cancer Salves: A Botanical Approach to Treatment, by Ingrid Naiman
Seventh Ray Press, 1999
Patricia Weissleader, http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/blacksalveandpetswithcancer/
cancersalves.com
HOMEOPATHYAcademy of Veterinary Homeopathy, theavh.org, (866) 652-1590
Stacey Hershman, DVM , naturalvetforpets.com
CRYOSURGERYMartin Goldstein, DVM, (914) 533-6066, smithridge.com
ENZYME THERAPYProzyme, prozymeproducts.com
Wobenzym, naturallyvitamins.com, buywobenzym.com
PROTOCELDaniel King, DVM, (217) 485-7387
Outsmart Your Cancer: Alternative, Non-toxic Treatments That Work,
by Tanya Harter Pierce. Thoughtworks Publishing, 2004
WebND.com
alternativecancer.us/protocel.htm
BIORESONANCE THERAPYGigi Gaulin, DVM, thenaturalanimal.com
bicomresonance.com
GENERAL INFORMATIONRalph Moss, Ph.D., cancerdecisions.com
American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, ahvma.org
Shirleys Wellness Cafe, shirleys-wellness-cafe.com
DR BUDWIGS PROTOCOLhealingcancernaturally.com/budwig_protocol.htmlhealingcancernaturally.com/pet-cancer-cure-testimonials.com
PASTURE-FED ORGANIC INGREDIENTSThe Weston A. Price Foundation, westonaprice.org
Eat Wild, eatwild.com
Campaign for Real Milk, realmilk.com
HERBAL MEDICINEAll You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets,
by Mary Wulff-Tilford and Gregory Tilford. Bow-Tie Press, 1999
Robert McDowell, cancer-herbal-treatment.com
Veterinary Botanical Medical Association, vbma.org
CHINESE H ERBS, TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM)Dr. Jiu Jia Wen, naturalsolutionsvet.com
Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, tcvm.com,
(800) 891-1986
ARTEMISININHenry Lai, Ph.D., University of Washington, Seattle
[email protected]. Technical information only
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artemisinin_and_cancer/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bonecancerdogs/
Holley Pharmaceuticals, (866) 846-5539, holleypharma.com
Alternative Cancer Treatment Resources
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Jo died in January 2000, of congestiveheart failure. If I had it to do over, saysTenney, I would have used the salve rightaway, when the tumors were tiny. In gen-eral, I would say this is not a treatment forthe faint-hearted, and the best way to do itis with the support of a sympathetic veteri-narian.
Patricia Weissleader, who lives nearPalm Springs, California, has treated sev-eral of her rescued dogs with black salve.In every case, she says, the salve re-moved the tumors and the dogs werehealthy.
Weissleader now runs an online groupdevoted to black salves. The salve will al-ways remove visible tumors, she says, andwere always learning about ways to speedthe healing of the area after that.
HomeopathyFew approaches to healing are as contro-
versial as homeopathy, in which extremelydilute substances are matched with symp-toms on an individual basis and given,usually one at a time and often only once,to stimulate a healing response. Because itis so different from what they are used to,most mainstream physicians, veterinarians,and researchers consider homeopathy irra-tional, ineffective, or dangerous.
As cancer researcher Ralph Moss, PhD,says, The argument that any positive re-sults reported for homeopathy have to bedue to the placebo effect seems arrogant.
Homeopathy is no weirder than the basicpostulates of quantum mechanics, whichwere vehemently resisted by the older gen-eration of scientists, only to become thefoundation of todays particle physics. Henotes that 3,000 peer-reviewed articles dealwith homeopathy, including 140 clinical tri-als and 100 articles on randomizedcontrolled trials.
New York veterinarian StaceyHershman, DVM, a classically trained ho-
meopath, uses homeopathy as a supporttherapy rather than a stand-alone cancertreatment. I just havent seen spectacularresults, especially in advanced or compli-cated cases, she says. I love homeopathyand I use it every day, but for cancer pa-tients I use it in combination with otherholistic treatments, addressing symptoms asthey develop. I think its excellent for that.
While there are many home-studyguides for treating animals with homeopa-thy, cancer is a complicated subject. Forbest results, consult an experienced vet-erinary homeopath.
CryosurgeryWhen surgery is the best option, an alterna-tive procedure called cryosurgery cansometimes be used to destroy cancer tissueby freezing.
In October 2004, Labrador Retrieverbreeder Ed Katz of Elka Park, New York,discovered that his three-month-old puppy,Doc, had an aggressive mast cell tumor onhis paw pad. The cancer had already spreadto his lymph nodes and his spleen was en-larged. Docs veterinary oncologistsrecommended amputation, 25 radiationtreatments, and intensive chemotherapy.
Instead, Katz took Doc to MartyGoldstein, DVM, in South Salem, NewYork, who performed a 23-minute
cryosurgery procedure and sentthe puppy home withartemisinin and nutritionalsupplements. Doc healedquickly and today, says Dr.Goldstein, you cant tell whichpaw was affected.
According to Katz, Doc is
the most athletic, happy, intelligent, bouncy,resilient Lab imaginable. He celebrated hisfirst birthday last summer, continues to takehis artemisinin and supplements, and hasbeen cancer-free, with perfect blood tests,for more than a year.
Cryosurgery is not always successful,warns trainer Nancy Strouss, whose nine-year-old Golden Retriever, Valley, underwent
the procedure to treat a mast cell tumor onher toe. The cryosurgery was painful,says Strouss, and the cancer came rightback. When her toe was amputated, it cameback again, and soon it metastasizedthrough her body.
Enzyme therapyNo discussion of holistic cancer treatmentswould be complete without mentioning en-zyme therapy. Enzymes are most familiaras digestive aids that break down fats, pro-teins, and other foods, but they are takenbetween meals on an empty stomach whenthey are used to treat cancer.
Bromelain, a protein-digesting enzymefound in pineapple, has cancer-fighting aswell as anti-inflammatory properties. Famil-iar enzyme products for dogs includeProzyme, a plant-based powder that issprinkled on food to improve digestion, andWobenzym, described here in January 2001(Banking on Enzymes) and October 2005(Digest These Benefits). Both productscontain bromelain; Wobenzym containspancreatic enzymes as well.
In our 2001 article on systemic oral
enzyme therapy (the term used to describethe administration of digestive enzymesbetween meals), New Hampshire residentSusan Appelin described her twoGreyhounds, one with hemangiosarcoma,
the other with a mast cellsarcoma. When a holisticphysician told her aboutWobenzym, she added between-meal enzymes to her dogshome-prepared diet. Both dogsrecovered and enjoyed more
than a year free
from cancer.Systemic oralenzyme therapyis usually welltolerated by dogsof all ages. How-ever, Wobenzymand other prod-ucts containingbromelain canthin the blood.
Jo died at age 13, of a heart condition notrelated to her cancer.
Top: Doc and hismast cell tumor.Right: The samepaw eight daysafter cryother-apy.
Photos courtesy of Dr.Martin Goldstein.
Above: Docs paw a year aftertreatment, with no sign of cancer.
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Note the safety issues raised in our 2005article to prevent adverse side effects.
Cancell/ProtocelOne of the more controversial alternativetreatments for cancer is a product calledCancell, also called Protocel, Cantrol,Entelev, and Cantron. It was created in the1930s by a Dow Chemical biochemist who
claimed that the product balanced the vi-brational frequency of cancer cells,returning them to a healthy state.
Protocels ingredients are copper, so-dium, potassium, and a proprietary blendof tetrahydroxyquinone, rhodizonic acid,inositol, croconic acid, catechol, triquinoyl,and leuconic acid. According to its manu-facturers, Protocel is a powerful antioxidantthat helps cleanse the cells, thus supportingimmune function.
Cancell has been the subject of a long-running guerilla war between its enthusiastson the one hand and the FDA on the other,says Dr. Moss. Every time it is suppressedunder one name, it pops up un-der another.
Animal studies conductedby the National Cancer Insti-tute (NCI) decades agoconcluded that Cancell lackedsubstantial anticancer activityand that no further researchwas warranted. In 1989, theFDA was granted a permanentinjunction against Cancellsmanufacturers, prohibiting
them from distributing an un-approved drug. However,many have argued that the NCIfalsified its reports of the tests
it conducted, and some of the evidenceagainst Cancell does appear to be biased.
Daniel King, DVM, of Tolono, Illinois,is one of a handful of veterinarians who useProtocel. In the past eight years, he hastreated 50 cancer patients with the productand consulted on more than 200 additionalcases. He estimates that 65 to 70 percenthave responded well. In most cases, he
says, the cancer doesnt go away, but itdoes stop growing; it doesnt metastasize,it stops causing pain, and the patient lives anormal life span, usually dying of somethingother than cancer, like congestive heart fail-ure or kidney disease.
Dr. Kings favorite Protocel patient isDuke, a Boxer who was 11 years old andvomiting red blood when he was diagnosedwith adenocarcinoma of the stomach inJanuary 2002. Somehow his owner, GusGeorge, who lives in nearby Tuscola, heardabout my work with Protocel and broughthim in, he says. In less than a week on theProtocel, Duke stopped vomiting and
started feeling better. Aftereight months, he returned tothe veterinary clinic that haddiagnosed him for follow-uptests, and they could find nosign of cancer. Duke died inJanuary 2005 at the age of 14.
In Dr. Kings experience,about 15 percent of patientstreated with Protocel are fullycured of cancer; almost all ofthose, he says, had cancers
that affect the mucousmembranes, such as adeno-carcinoma or squamous cellcarcinoma.
Bioresonance therapyFor Gigi Gaulin, DVM, of Santa Fe, NewMexico, the leading edge of alternative vet-erinary medicine is a technology developedin Germany 30 years ago and used in 65countries around the world. Bioresonancetherapy utilizes a patented device that measures the patients electromagneticoscillations through electrodes placed on
the body. The frequencies it measures arethen returned to the patient as a form ofhealing energy, with bad frequencies inverted and good frequencies enhanced.
Dr. Gaulin is one of nine veterinariansin the U.S. who are using Bicom ResonanceTherapy equipment. Where cancer is con-cerned, she says, the treatment proceeds instages, clearing underlying conditionsCancer isnt an entity all of itself. Its parof a process; eliminating cancer is a pro-cess, too. You start by removing energeticblocks, opening up the lymphatic systemand supporting the organs that help the bodycorrect imbalances.
Treatment sessions last anywhere from20 to 90 minutes, and are commonly usedon a weekly basis. Dr. Gaulin reports thamost patients experience improvements inenergy, attitude, appetite, specific symptoms, and overall condition. As they becomestronger, she says, their quality of life in-creases and cancer growth slows. Thechanges and improvements that result canbe truly astounding, she says.
Duke recovered fromstomach cancer.